Two roommates disagree about getting a pet
136 words
The key scraped in the lock, and Eleanor shoved the door open. The aroma of freshly baked cookies – a new, unwelcome addition to the apartment – hit her first. Her roommate, Sarah, beamed at her f...
Two roommates disagree about getting a pet
116 words
The morning light streamed in, but for Alex, it held no brightness. He'd woken up with a knot in his stomach. The agreement had been sealed last night: No cat. But now, as he made his coffee, he saw a...
Two roommates disagree about getting a pet
111 words
“I don’t understand why you’re so against it!” Maya’s roommate, Chloe, was practically bouncing with excitement. She held up her phone, displaying pictures of a tiny, squeaking hamster. Maya...
Two roommates disagree about getting a pet
101 words
He stared at the fish tank, the bubbles of air the only movement in the sterile silence. His roommate, Leo, had been ecstatic about the fish, but for Daniel, it represented a looming burden. He had wa...
Two roommates disagree about getting a pet
99 words
The vibrant, chirping birdsong filled the apartment, a constant reminder. Sarah had been so thrilled, setting up the cage in the living room. James, on the other hand, felt a dull ache behind his eyes...
Two roommates disagree about getting a pet
96 words
The air in the apartment felt thick, heavy with unspoken tension. The cat, a sleek black creature, stalked past, its gaze indifferent. His roommate, Ben, was completely consumed by it, talking to it i...
Two roommates disagree about getting a pet
88 words
The house was filled with a constant, high-pitched whine. His roommate, Liam, had finally got his gecko. He had wanted it for months. Noah, on the other hand, found himself struggling to swallow. The ...
Two friends plan separate birthday parties on the same day
153 words
Sarah sighed, the sound barely a whisper. The aroma of freshly baked cake, meant to be a comfort, instead felt suffocating. Tonight, her friends would descend upon her small apartment for her birthday...
Two friends plan separate birthday parties on the same day
126 words
The car ride felt interminable. Ethan gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles were white. Tonight, he was turning thirty, and he was supposed to be celebrating. But, his best friend, Liam, wa...
Two friends plan separate birthday parties on the same day
115 words
"Another layer of icing," Maya sighed, staring at the cake she was making. It was her birthday. A day to celebrate. Except, her friend, Olivia, was throwing a party at a fancy restaurant tonight, and ...
Two friends plan separate birthday parties on the same day
109 words
John sat on the edge of the bed, the cheap mattress sagging under his weight. Today was his birthday, a milestone he was meant to be celebrating. His friend, Chris, was throwing a huge party, a rock c...
Two friends plan separate birthday parties on the same day
120 words
"This isn't how it was supposed to be," whispered Chloe to herself. The apartment felt too quiet, the decorations too cheerful. It was her birthday, but the planned event, once a source of excitement,...
A person learns their childhood best friend doesn't remember them
137 words
The party throbbed with music and laughter, but Liam felt isolated and alone. He caught her eye across the crowded room, and a flash of recognition, a momentary flicker. Then, a quick smile, before sh...
A person learns their childhood best friend doesn't remember them
123 words
"So, you're… Michael?" The words hung in the air, weighted with a kind of blankness. He nodded, trying to force a smile, a grimace that felt stuck to his face. She’d looked at him with polite inte...
A person learns their childhood best friend doesn't remember them
105 words
The old photographs lay scattered across the table, each image a painful reminder. He picked up one, a faded picture of the two of them, younger, carefree. His throat tightened. He couldn’t breathe....
A person learns their childhood best friend doesn't remember them
86 words
The air hung heavy with unspoken disappointment. He stood at the door, her farewell curt, her smile a practiced performance. The reunion he'd craved, the shared laughter he'd envisioned, had morphed i...
A musician hears their song being performed by someone else
146 words
He sat on the park bench, hunched and small, the collar of his threadbare jacket pulled up around his ears. Autumn leaves, brittle and brown, swirled around his feet, mirroring the decay he felt withi...
A musician hears their song being performed by someone else
111 words
The bustling marketplace was a symphony of sounds: vendors hawking their wares, children laughing, music drifting from a nearby stall. He wandered through the stalls, trying to avoid the crowds, the s...
A musician hears their song being performed by someone else
112 words
He was stuck in traffic, inching along a crowded freeway. The radio was on, a generic pop station. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, restless. Then, the music began. It was his song. It was...
A person's manuscript is rejected by their dream publisher
80 words
"No," he muttered, his voice a gravelly whisper. The reply from the publishing house was a short, curt message. He let the email scroll down, then, with a long sigh, closed his computer. He felt a lea...
A person's manuscript is rejected by their dream publisher
83 words
"Well, that’s that then," I said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. I tossed the letter onto the already cluttered desk, watching it land with a pathetic thud. My fingers drummed against the w...
A person's manuscript is rejected by their dream publisher
79 words
The vibrant city seemed to have lost its lustre. The bustling crowds, usually a source of energy, now grated on his nerves. He walked, aimlessly, through the crowded streets, the noise a constant assa...
A person's manuscript is rejected by their dream publisher
76 words
He picked up his guitar, the familiar weight a small comfort, and began to strum a chord. The sound, usually a source of pleasure, felt flat, hollow. The music offered no solace. He felt a profound di...
A person's manuscript is rejected by their dream publisher
78 words
The house was too quiet. The silence pressed in on her, amplified by the emptiness within her. She moved, numbly, through the rooms, the air thick with unspoken words. Her gaze landed on the dusty boo...